As we head to the halfway point of my LIA, our project with Fundación SORA has begun to gather momentum as we start to contribute to their programs.

My organisation, Fundación SORA is in Comuna 13. Comuna 13 has a complex history, having experienced significant violence linked to guerrilla groups and paramilitary conflict. In recent years, however, it has become a powerful example of urban transformation becoming a vibrant community with bright colourful graffiti. Public infrastructure projects such as the outdoor escalators that improve mobility on the steep hillside, have played an important role in improving accessibility.

The organisation provides four key community spaces: a community restaurant, classroom, café, and Media Lab (computer room) that offers activities for both children and older adults. Fundación SORA’s work is primarily supported through donations and income generated by guided tours of the Comuna.

One of the first immersion activities was meeting the children who attend the organisation. The children in the organisation first introduced their country Colombia by creating a collage of the different departments of their country and common symbols of the country such as the flag. This helped us understand the community that SORA is trying to support and encourage, helping us understand the potential needs of the community.

Then each child introduced themselves with a self-made poster of their likes and interests. Our group then introduced ourselves with our likes and interests and showing where we are from. We then played musical statues with music from each of our countries and shared a sweet treat. It was wonderful to see how curious the children were about us and our experiences from other parts of the world.

One of the main objectives over the coming weeks is to activate the Media Lab, transforming it into a space where children can develop valuable digital skills through engaging activities. This week, we delivered our first workshop using Scratch, introducing the children to the basics of programming through interactive games and animations. It was encouraging to see how quickly they engaged with the software and how their confidence grew throughout the session. By the end of the workshop, many of the children who had initially been hesitant were independently experimenting with different coding blocks and proudly sharing their creations with each other.

With three weeks still ahead of us, I am looking forward to expanding the activities in the MediaLab and I am excited to see how our project evolves and the impact we can create together over the remainder of the programme.